Amusement apparatus.



FRANK J JOHNSTON, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1906.

Application filed October 4, 1905. Serial No. 281,262.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Amusement Apparatus, of Which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an amusement apparatus of the merry-go-round variety. Its object is to provide a safe, simple, and strong circular device for amusement purposes Which Will be capable of exciting novel and pleasing sensations.

It consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in Wl1iCl1 Figure 1 is a plan View of my device. Fig. 2 is an elevation in same from the lowest part of the track, omitting some of the carriages.

A represents an endless circular track, but lying in an irregular plane, starting from a loW comparatively straight level and taking a rather sudden uprise to a height of ten or twelve feet and then descending on a gradual grade to the point of starting.

B represents a two-Wheeled truck With the Wheels standing one behind the other. The Wheels may be flat, and the track may be of Wood or metal. Preferably the Wheels are flanged, and the track comprises a single rail With all the Wheels of all the trucks running on the one rail.

C represents the carriages, which may be of any variety or number. Each carriage is hinged at each end, as at 2, to a bolster 3 on an adjacent truck, and each truck supports one end of tWo carriages.

The truck-platforms are approximately trapezoidal in form and are connected to a central driving drum or support 4 by the radially-extending rods 5. These rods are hinged, as at 6, to support 4 to swing in a vertical plane between the guides or stirrups 7.

'The latter alloW the' rods to accommodate themselves to the up-and-doWn movement of the carriages in their Wavy travel along the track and maintain the rods always radial, so as to propel the carriages in unison With the revolution of the support 4.

The central support 4 is of suitable size, and the guides Which are carried by the support are far enough removed from the pivots 6 to give the necessary support to the rods for propulsion purposes. Thesupport 4'is mounted on avertical drive-shaft 8, operated fiom any suitable source of power.

The upper ends of the brace-rods 5 are connected to the trucks by means of the straps 9 in such manner as to allow the several trucks to accommodate themselves to the different changes in direction of the track. The pivotal connections of the carriages With the trucks and of the driving-rods With the trucks and With the central support provide for the necessarychanges in postion of one part relative to another in the operation of v the device.

By employing a single rail friction is reduced, and by having each truck supporting a part of tWo adjacent carriages I effect a saving of Weight, simplify construction, and alloW each end of each carriage to be supported directly over a Wheel, thereby increasing the strength.

When the central drive-shaft is set in operation and the carriages made to travel at a rapid rate of speed over the undulating track, a most exciting novel form of amusement is afforded to the occupants of the carriage.

It is possible that various modifications in my invention may be made Without departing from the principle thereof, and I do not Wish to be understood as limiting myself beyond the reasonable construction of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

- 1. In an amusement apparatus, the combination of a continuous track, trucks adapted to run on said track, a carriage longitudinally in front of and a carriage longitudinally in rear of each truck, and pivotal connections between, the adjacent ends of the truck and carriages.

2. In an amusement apparatus the combination of an undulating continuous single track, trucks on said track, carriages sup ported on said trucks With each truck partly supporting tWo adjacent carriages, pivotal connections between the trucks and carriages, and pivotal connections between the trucks and a central source of power to propel the carriages.

3. In an amusement apparatus the combination With a continuous trackway, of trucks on said trackWay, carriages supported on said trucks and arranged substantially horizontally in line therewith, with each I truck supporting the adjacent ends of two adjacent carriages, flexible connections between each truck and the carriages in front and rear thereof, a central rotary support, and radially-extending hinged members on the support and pivotally connected with the trucks to propel the carriages.

4. In an amusement apparatus the combination of an undulating continuous track, trucks thereon, carriages pivotally supported on the trucks with each truck supporting the adjacent ends of two adjacent carriages, a central rotary support, and radially-extending members hinged to said support to turn in vertical planes and movable with the support and pivotally connected with the trucks.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- DBSSBS.

FRANK J. JOHNSTON. Witnesses:

OTTO HEILBRON, THEO. S. JACOBS; 

